Wuzhou: Lingnan’s Most Memorable City

Cangwu County, “Fossil” of Place Name

Cangwu County under the jurisdiction of Wuzhou City is north of the city. Twenty minutes away from downtown Wuzhou are the famous Liubu tea gardens of Cangwu County. With an area of more than 73 hectares the plantation is like an immense green picture ornamented with straw-hatted girls picking tealeaves.

Liubu tea earned its reputation during the reign of Emperor Jiaqing (1760-1820) of the Qing Dynasty with its distinctive areca-nut flavor. The tea also dispels dampness, purging and coordinating the intestines and stomach. It is a common remedy for people in Guangdong and Guangxi.

Lion Mountain in Taiping Town of Tengxian County.

Tengxian County, Natural and Cultural Wonderland

Tengxian County’s cultural attractions and natural wonders are everywhere. Most appealing is Shibiao Mountain, which features the Danxia landform of steep cliffs, formed from red sandstone. Located at the junction of the Beiliu River and the Siluo River, Shibiao Mountain is a national 4A scenic spot. It is named for two hills which resemble the ornamental columns in front of palaces – Huabiao in Chinese. The meandering Siluo and Beiliu rivers add vigor to the mountain and rafting is a popular leisure activity. Red sandstone, green water, golden riverbanks and verdant bamboo form an appealing natural spectacle.

Mengjiang Town, home of national hero Yuan Chonghuan, is also located in the county. Yuan (1584-1630) was a military commander of the Ming Dynasty who put up strenuous resistance to the Manchu army’s invasion. However, under false charges, Yuan was finally executed by Ming Emperor Chongzhen. Mengjiang Town is an ancient commercial port due to its convenient water transportation.

Cenxi, Hidden Natural Marvel

In Chinese, cen means high and small hill, and xi refers to narrow streams in a valley. Cenxi is a county-level city of Wuzhou, with abundant mineral resources including gold, silver, lead, zinc and iron. But Cenxi is best known for its huge reserve of red granite. It is China’s largest granite production base, dubbed the “granite capital.”